Carriage-top extender.



M. NAKAMIZO.

CARRIAGE TOP EXTENDER- APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 1914,

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH IO-,WASHINGTDN. D. c.

, n are STA E P I JVIiEIJI NAKAMIZO, or SAN FRANCISCO, chm-roams.

CARRIAGE-Tor EXTENDER.

Patented Aug. 3, 11915.

Application filed December 5, 1914. Se1fi2Q1NoJ875,618.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, MEIJI NAKAMIZO, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Top Extenders, of which thefollowing isa specification.

This invention relates to a carriage top extender. i

When folding or extending carriage topssuch as are commonly used on automobiles or the like, it generally requires two persons to accomplish the operation, one on each side of the machine. This is necessary for the following reason: When the top is in the folded position it is first necessary to release the front bows from the rear supporting brackets and lift them forward/in unison. to the-front supporting brackets where they are attached when the top is raised or extended. The bow ends being arranged, one on each side of the machine, cannot very well be handled by one person as'they are too far separated to be within his or her reach. i

The object of the present invention is to provide a detachable guide bar insertible between the front and rear supporting brackets, one foreachside of the machine, which bars are adapted to carry and guide the front bow from one bracket tothe other when folding or raising the top, making it possible for one person to accomplishthe operation.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which t Figure 1 is a plan view of the bow guide as applied with bows folded. Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device with top raised. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse vertical section on line 4.4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the rear end of the runway, showing the holding lug contacting with the supporting standard.

More particularly described, A indicates a standard form of foldable automobile top supported by front and rear bows 2 and .3 respectively, which in turn are carried by the front and rear brackets 4 and 5 secured on the body 13. In folding up a top of this character it is first accomplished by folding up the front brace rods 6, then pulling out the cotter pins 7' and releasing the front bow with relation to the supporting brackets 42. The front bow is then carried back and attached to the upwardly turned lugs 8 on the rearbow, which in the meantime has been turned back into the position shown in Fig. 8. To raise or fold a top of this character two persons are required, as one person will have to carry the bow on one, side of the machine while the other person carries the bow on the other side, when moving the front how 2 from one bracket to the other.

The object of'the present invention is to provide an attachment which will make it possible for one person to raise: or fold the top. This is accomplished as follows: 10

indicates a guide bar, the upper side of which .is provided with a channelsection 11 partly covered by a flange 12. Thebar, when in use, is laid across the brackets a and 5 and is temporarily secured thereto by a hook-like projection 13, at one end, :and 'a clamp screw 1i at the other end. The channel guide section on top of the bar is open at eachend, as at-15 and 16, to permit ingress and egress therethrough, and the channel is slightly curved at each end for purposes hereinafter tov be described.

tendency of this bow is to spring outward and the bow ends will, therefore, when released, have to be pushed a slight distance forward until the bearing pin 17 of each bow enters the channel of each bar. The person raising the top may now walk to the rear of the machine and lift the top up, causing the rear bow 3 to assume a vertical position while the front bow will be caused to slide forward on the guide bars, as indicated by dotted lines at 18, Fig. 3. The front bow may then be pulled completely over to the front ends of the bars and will then spring out through openings 16 where it may be connected to the front supporting brackets by inserting the bearing pins 17 through the brackets. It is then secured thereto by inserting the cotter pins 7 The front braces 6 may now be opened and i I The, operation will be as follows When it .1 indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

the guy straps (not here shown) attached to secure the top in its raised position. The guide bars may now be removed as the top has been raised and secured in position.

This is accomplished by releasingtheclamp screws lt and lifting the bars off brackets t and 5. The bars may 'now be laid aside inthe machine or placed in the garage for future use as they will not be of any use until the top isto be folded. The bars are only temporarily attached when raising or lowering the topv and are removed just as .1 soon as this is accomplished.

The slight curve formed in the channel at each end of the bar is provided for the fol lowing reason: After the front bow is released with relation tothe rear supporting brackets 5 and the lower ends thereof have at 1 forces the lowerends of the bow incopies of this patent may be obtained for ward again, increasing the tension to such an extent that when the ends finally enter openings 16 they will immediately spring out into engagement withthe front suporting brackets 4 where they are secured y inserting the cotter pins. I

The bars constructed as here shown are simple in 'construction and are quickly attached or removed. Astheir attachment is only temporary they do not encumber the machine in anyway and, furthermore, make it possible. for one person to raise or fold the top. 1 1

'The bars may be attached to and used on i any machine where the spread between the supporting brackets is the same, and are equally operable whether the spring in the bows is, in an outward or inward direction.

The materials and finish of the several parts of the device are such as the expeconstruction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims and that I do not wish to limit myself to the specific design and construction here shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a carriage top adjusting device, brackets fixed to the body sides, said brack ets having an outwardly extending horizontal member and an upwardly extending perforated member to which the lower ends of the top carrying bows are pivoted, and a channeled guide bar, having an overhanging flange and openings at the ends, said bar being detachably supported upon the horizontal members of the brackets with the open' ings in line with the pivoted ends of the bows to allow the latter to be transferred to andfrom the channels. I

2. "In a carriage top adjusting device, brackets fixed to the body sides, having upturned outer ends, perforated to receive pins at the lower ends of the carriage bows, and intermediate horizontal portions, channel iron guides with means to detachably secure their ends to the horizontal portions, said guides havingretaining flanges throughout their length and openings at the ends through which the bow pins may be transferred inwardly into the channels, said guides being curved contiguous to their ends to vary the tension on the moving bow.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MEIJ I NAKAMIZO. Witnesses:

JOHN H. HERRING, W. W. HEALEY.

five cents'each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

